Huntsville Hospital honors “Cardiac Rehab Patient of the Year”

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - February is American Heart Month and Huntsville Hospital honored a very special patient who showed tremendous strength and courage in order to overcome heart disease.

Christella Green was honored Thursday by Huntsville Hospital as "Cardiac Rehab Patient of the Year". People who know her say this woman has style.

Her doctor said, "She's in her very cool pajamas and her hair is done. "

They also say she's tough.

"What this woman was capable of is pretty much unbelievable," her doctor added.

Green's cardiac journey has been nothing short of miraculous. Her first heart attack was in 2008. Her second heart attack was in 2014. It was in 2014 when she was told she needed a heart transplant.

"When I got there, I was informed I was so weak, there was no way I could be cleared for a transplant," Green explained.

In the meantime, they gave her a LVAD heart pump, but her condition continued to get worse.

"I got weaker and weaker and in doing so I could feel myself just drifting... lifeless," said Green.

When Green had run out of hope, she says she saw God.

"He said get up and I got up and I got up and I have been running ever since."

After that moment she continued to run into obstacles, but she never gave up. Now she can reap in the joy that only comes from overcoming extreme hardship and she can even say she handled it better than anyone else.

Green says now that she has recovered, she plans to spend time with family and help other people going through a similar situation.